


A Friendly Tea

by afteriwake



Series: Friends To So Much More [1]
Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Alternate Canon, Catching Up, Concerned Irene Adler, Friendly Irene Adler, Gen, Irene Doesn't Steal Greg's Secrets, Male-Female Friendship, Marriage Troubles, Mentioned Jim Moriarty - Freeform, Minor Irene Adler/Sherlock Holmes, Non-Sexual Irene Adler & Greg Lestrade, Old Friends, POV Irene Adler, Post-Episode: s01e03 The Great Game, Pre-Episode: s02e01 A Scandal in Belgravia, Pre-Relationship, Secret Friendship of Sorts, Shared History, Tea, Worried Greg Lestrade
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-05
Updated: 2018-10-05
Packaged: 2019-07-25 16:40:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16201496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/pseuds/afteriwake
Summary: A pair of old friends include a shortened session of tea and catching up.





	A Friendly Tea

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GlowingMechanicalHeart](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlowingMechanicalHeart/gifts).



> Ages ago, **GlowingMechanicalHeart** gave me a prompt of “ _Irene/Greg: 'I hope you know what you’re getting into.'_ ” that I decided to use to start an (eventually) canon-divergent series where they do get together romantically, but this particular fic is a friendship fic. Hope you enjoy!

“I hope you know what you’re getting into.”

Irene continued to pour the tea. “We’re old friends, Greg. Of course I don’t know what I’m getting into. But that’s part of the fun, isn’t it?” She smiled at him and got an amused head shaking in return. With Greg, she could be truthful, as he had always been with her from his time trying to squash various brothels in London when he was a young copper. “But I’ll be careful if you think it will help.”

“I think it would, yeah,” he said, picking up his cup and saucer when she was done. “You know he consults for me, yeah?”

“Yes, and I know you’ll never give me any privileged information so I shouldn’t ask.” She finished pouring her own tea and then sat down next to Greg. No lingerie or sheer slips on today; with Greg, it was always very comfortable but always fully clothed, and she was wearing a cream scooped silk shirt and matching trousers. He was in his usual rumpled suit and tie, bless him. She had to wonder if he’d had another spat with his wife and was sleeping at the Yard right now.

If today’s meeting had been known to his wife that was a possibility.

But she would never see Greg as a client, even if they were to engage in sexual activities, which so far, twenty years on, they had not. He was something altogether different to her. A friend, possibly. Not quite like Kate but...more genuine. She didn’t pay him for his friendship; he gave it willingly.

Just as he had when he got her out of the brothel where she’d been exploited.

She hadn’t left the game entirely, and he knew that. He knew she collected secrets, and not all of them stayed with her. But he seemed to care more that she was safe than anything else, so telling him she got tangled up with the mad bomber might not be the best of ideas. But she had a plan for Moriarty, just as she had a plan for everything and everyone else, including Greg’s consulting detective.

Except for Greg, of course. There were never ulterior motives there. But she took a sip of her tea and then put cup and saucer down, reaching over to pat Greg on the knee. “Are you and Marleen fighting again?”

Greg smirked slightly and nodded. “She says she wants to make another go of things with me but she’s...distant.”

“Then she probably has someone on the side.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised,” he said, only a hint of bitterness in his voice.

“You deserve better. You always have. I mean, not someone like me, that you just go to for release, but someone who loves you, cares about you. But you stay for your daughter, I know that, and I respect that.”

“Thank you,” he said, smiling slightly as his mobile went off. He answered his phone and she had to force herself not to listen to his side of the conversation, something that was easier said than done; she was so used to ferreting secrets out that it was second nature now. But he ended his call and stood, leaning over to kiss her cheek. “Have to dash. Tomorrow there just may be another picture of Sherlock in the papers.”

“And you too?” she asked, turning to kiss his cheek in a farewell.

“Doubtful. He’s much more photogenic,” Greg said with a laugh.

“Bite your tongue, Greg. You’re a silver fox and you know it.”

This time the chuckle was a full laugh. “Just promise me if you try anything with Sherlock you’ll be careful, alright? I don’t want either of you getting hurt.”

She reached over and took his hands in hers, squeezing them. “I promise, Greg. I’ll be careful.”

“Good. Thank you for the tea, Irene. In a few weeks, we can try again.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” she said, letting go of his hands and watching him leave before going back to her tea. It was a strange friendship to have, she knew that, but it was special to her all the same, and for that reason, she appreciated it greatly.


End file.
